Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon

With Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, squad based combat on the XBox lets you play through single player missions or take it online with XBox Live for up to 16 simultaneous players.

Gameplay involves you running a team of up to 6 members. The team members can be snipers, foot soldiers, engineers, and more. As in Rainbox Six, you can build your teammates up through the levels so they can gain more skills.

The single player missions are interesting, with landscapes varying from countryside to small towns to big city streets. You have to use stealth and strategy to achieve your objectives without dying or running out of ammo. Each teammate must use his strengths and help cover for each other's weaknesses.

The graphics aren't exactly stunning - while the buildings have windows and doors drawn on them, for example, you can't shoot out the windows. It's more like they are giant squares with murals painting on them. On the other hand, the human bodies are extremely well done, with their movement and actions.

The sounds are immersive and draw you in. There's background noises of wind and cars which can make it harder for you to hear the footsteps of your enemy ... or at times mask the noise of your own footsteps. If a loud noise happens near you, it gives the realistic temporary 'underwater' sensation as in real life.

Single player is just practice for the real fun of Ghost Recon - XBox Live play. Unlike PS2 or Computer gameplay, with XBox Live you're guaranteed that other players all have a high speed (Cable Modem) connection speed. This means the lag you see in many other on line games is pretty much completely avoided.

We play a ton of games on line and this is one of our current favorites. Recommended for XBox Live owners who enjoy team-based gameplay.